2. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
After Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that Wayne Rooney had submitted a transfer request at the end of last season, it seemed inevitable that the long-running saga involving the England striker would surely only end in him ending his nine-year stay with the club. From day one, top clubs from all over Europe were linked with the 27-year-old, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and PSG, as well as a number of United’s Premier League rivals, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea. Despite the speculation over Rooney’s happiness at the club, Moyes remained adamant that he would not be sold. By the end of the transfer window, Chelsea were very public with their interest in the former Everton star, and Jose Mourinho encouraged him to submit a formal transfer request at Old Trafford. To everyone’s surprise, he did not take this advice and looks to have committed his future to the Red Devils.